Cambridge school ensures bright Christmas for children in Iqaluit

Supplies

Peter Lee/Record staff

Students Karly Carnegie, 13, Jason Gancena, 11 and Sarah Gomes, 8, show off some of the many bags of gifts collected at Blessed Mother Teresa Catholic School in Cambridge. The gifts will be delivered to poor communities in Iqaluit.

CAMBRIDGE — Mother Teresa would be proud of the children at the school named after her.

That’s what Grade 5 teacher Karen Loik repeatedly tells her students at Blessed Mother Teresa Catholic School in Cambridge.

Mother Teresa helped the poor and those who couldn’t help themselves. At the east Galt school, helping those less fortunate is part of the school fabric.

“It’s part of them. They think that’s what you do,” said Loik, who was behind a project to collect items for children in Iqaluit.

For the past few weeks, the students — 530 pupils from junior kindergarten to Grade 8 — have filled 405 bags full of goodies, including personal hygiene items, school supplies and toys for children, teachers and some families in Nunavut.

The gifts will be delivered to four remote communities in and around the capital city of Iqaluit for Christmas.

The cardboard boxes filled with bags were picked up on Wednesday by J&R Haul Transport Inc. of Ayr and hauled to Ottawa. From there, First Air will fly the boxes to Iqaluit next week.

Mark Cooper, a parent volunteer and retired firefighter, invited his fellow firefighters to the school to help load the boxes in the transport truck.

“I think it’s great. It’s Christmas and you take care of your own,” said Cooper, referring to the gifts going to other needy Canadians.

“If you’re fortunate to not need this help, then help others.”

In the past, Mother Teresa students have filled Christmas shoe boxes for children in developing countries, collected teddy bears for children who spend Christmas at Cambridge Memorial Hospital and collected gifts for the firefighters’ holiday drive.

The school’s pastoral team, made up of staff, decided on this year’s project after studying the history of the Inuit and Métis in class. Discussions involved school board First Nations consultant Joyce Crone, who teaches at St. Mary’s High School in Kitchener.

Loik said the enthusiasm among students and staff increased after Crone, who visited Iqaluit, came to the school to talk about the students in the North and how difficult it is to buy things that students in Ontario can easily purchase.

There was a “real connection” when the students heard that a case of 24 bottles of water costs $42 and a Barbie doll sells for $40, Loik said.

“They became excited to help,” she said. “We thought we should do something in our own backyard.”

Loik said the school was lucky to receive a grant and a donation from Barrday, a Cambridge company that specializes in advanced material solutions, to cover the cost of flying the boxes to Nunavut. First Air also reduced its rate because the items are for Christmas.

Items the students collected included toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo and conditioner, hats, mittens, socks, school supplies and small new toys.

“We wanted to make Christmas special for them,” said Grade 8 student Karly Carnegie.

Grade 3 student Sarah Gomes talked about collecting items at home with her parents and sibling.

“Stuff is really expensive for them,” said Gomes, who gathered books, pencils, paper and toothpaste.

“It’s important to share at Christmas because we want to give,” said 11-year-old Jason Gancena. “We have to share. We don’t want to be greedy.”

Principal Tyrone Dowling said he was moved by the enthusiasm of the students, who collected more items than expected and surpassed their goal of 300 bags full of goods.

Dowling said each time he entered the school, he was struck by the growing piles of bags in the front foyer.

“It was a strong visual representation that somewhere in our country our students are lending a helping hand,” he said.

“It’s a great opportunity for our students to touch a community that might not have the same access or resources that we do.”

Dowling said the energy in the school was palpable. “To watch them mobilize was absolutely awesome,” he said.